Innovation and the start up ecosystem in Western Australia sundowner

Full Report: Dare to Venture: Startups and the innovation ecosystem in Western Australia

Media Release: Boosting WA Startups: Report calls for investment in talent, diversity and innovation

The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre invites you to join us for the release of our exciting new research at this special sundowner event.

Startups, and the innovation ecosystem in which they operate, are important drivers of employment and economic growth and a key source of new products and services. As well as driving innovation, startups create wealth, attract investment and give access to new market opportunities.

The importance of a strong innovation ecosystem is well recognised by industry and government, with numerous Western Australian government strategies seeking to develop key elements of the innovation ecosystem.

This new Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre report seeks to better understand the startup and innovation ecosystem in Western Australia, in order to inform policies that support entrepreneurship and startups in the state, and curate an innovation ecosystem within which startups can thrive.

This report introduces a novel innovation and entrepreneurship index that points to WA’s standing nationally across key elements of the startup ecosystem. The index compares cities and regions across the nation at a small (SA2) geographical area level. Economic modelling looks at the key determinants for startup success such as talent and skills, venture capital funding, and government grants. And, ways to bridge the gender divide are highlighted. The report points to key policies that can further support the ecosystem and ultimate success of startups in WA.

Join us for this special networking sundowner, hosted by Nadia Mitsopoulos of ABC Radio Perth. Hear insights from our panel of experts, including James Yuen, Executive Director of Innovation and Emerging Industries, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation; Dr Marcus Tan, Chair of Spacecubed and previous Founder of Healthengine; and Pia Turcinov AM, General Partner and Director of FundWA.

Report lead authors Dr Daniel Kiely and Dr Abebe Hailemariam will present key findings from the new research, with opening remarks from Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne CNZM, and Vote of Thanks by George Westcott, General Manager Strategy and Agility, Bankwest Technology, Bankwest.

Don’t miss out on our final event of the year, where you will have the opportunity to network, enjoy refreshments and get up to speed on the latest Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre research at this special sundowner.

Date: Tuesday 19 November 2024

Timing: 4.00pm registration and refreshments, 4.30pm event formalities start, 6.00pm network and refreshments

Location: Reveley Room, RAC Arena, 700 Wellington Street, Perth, WA, 6000

Cost: General Admission $79, Student Admission $59

TICKET SALES HAVE NOW CLOSED. PLEASE EMAIL bcec@curtin.edu.au IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS EVENT.

For any questions or help with registering, please email bcec@curtin.edu.au or call us on +61 8 9266 1744.

About the speakers

Dr Abebe Hailemariam, Senior Research Fellow, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre

Abebe Hailemariam is a Senior Research Fellow at the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre. He obtained his PhD in Economics from Monash University and received the Mollie Holman Medal Award for Best doctoral thesis in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University.

Abebe works in many research areas, including energy economics, health economics, housing, gender and inequality, and received the Lawrence R. Klein Award for outstanding paper in the field of Empirical Economics in 2020.

Dr Daniel Kiely, Senior Research Fellow, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre

Daniel is a Senior Research Fellow at the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre.

In addition to being a regular media commentator on economic and social trends, his research covers topics on regional economic diversification, trade, and small business, as well as tourism, agriculture, and gender equality.

Prior to joining BCEC, Daniel was Principal Economist and Policy Advisor at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA) and lectured for over a decade at University College Cork, Ireland.

Daniel holds a PhD from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, and is a graduate of the LeadershipWA Signature Leadership Program.

Professor Harlene Hayne CNZM, Vice-Chancellor, Curtin University

Professor Harlene Hayne was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Curtin University in April 2021, having previously been the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Professor Hayne received a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College, and an Master of Science and PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience from Rutgers University.  She joined the University of Otago in 1992, ultimately becoming Vice-Chancellor in 2011.

Professor Hayne is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and of the Association for Psychological Science.  In 2009 she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to scientific and medical research, and in 2012 received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Colorado College, USA.

In 2022 she was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in recognition of her outstanding services to health and wellbeing.

James Yuen, Executive Director of Innovation and Emergin Industries, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation

James Yuen has over 20 years of experience working at the interface of government, universities, and industry across multiple sectors.

He is currently the Executive Director of Innovation and Emerging Industries at the WA Government Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. In this role, James oversees the government’s activities to support the growth of Western Australia’s space and biomedical sectors, as well as the New Industries Fund programs focused on supporting new and emerging businesses in the innovation sector across the state.

His responsibilities include fostering collaboration between key stakeholders, developing strategic initiatives, and ensuring the successful implementation of actions to drive innovation, technology transfer, and economic growth in emerging industries.

Dr Marcus Tan, Chair of Spacecubed and previous Founder of HealthEngine

Doctor, tech entrepreneur and investor.

Dr Marcus Tan is the previous Founder, CEO and Managing Director of Healthengine, Australia’s largest online consumer healthcare platform, helping millions of patients navigate the complex world of healthcare and connect with thousands of healthcare providers nationally. Healthengine is a Series E venture capital and private equity backed WA tech startup that has raised around $80m since its inception in 2006.

Marcus currently serves as the Chair of Spacecubed, one of Australia’s leading social enterprises enabling entrepreneurs, innovators and changemakers, is a Venture and Limited Partner at Purpose Ventures, a West Australian-focused venture capital fund and is the Entrepreneur In Residence at the RAC’s Strategic Innovation Fund and Venture Studio, Better Labs.

Nadia Mitsopoulos, Journalist and Broadcaster, ABC Radio Perth

Nadia Mitsopoulos is a journalist and broadcaster with 30 years experience in radio and television. She currently hosts the Mornings program on ABC Radio Perth.

Nadia has volunteered her time for various organisations and is currently on the board of Netball WA.

Pia Turcinov AM, General Partner and Director, Fund WA

Pia is an accomplished portfolio board director and a General Partner of Fund WA, a Perth-based venture capital fund. While industry agnostic, Fund WA operates on a mandate focused on backing innovative, high growth and scalable opportunities in WA at the early commercialisation stages.

With 30+ years of legal, commercial, and corporate experience across multiple industries, Pia has worked with hundreds of founders, start-ups, and high-growth ventures and is passionate about scaling Australian innovation into global markets.

Pia sits on several boards, including as Chair of the East Metropolitan Health Service, Director of ASX-listed BrainChip Holdings, and the Centre for Decommissioning of Australia.

Pia holds degrees in Law and Arts from the University of NSW and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Pia was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the King’s Birthday 2023 Honours List for her significant service to technology, innovation, and women in STEM.

George Westcott, General Manager Strategy and Agility in Bankwest Technology, Bankwest

George is the General Manager Strategy and Agility in Bankwest Technology and has a career spanning over 14 years at Bankwest.

He is a Business and Technology Leader with extensive experience in the Financial Services and Industrial Sectors, Architecture and Transformation Programmes.

He has experience across multiple technologies, and a strong appreciation for both technical and business aspects which have made him adaptable and efficient as a leader for large scale transformation programmes. During his career he has successfully managed global teams and suppliers delivering solutions to meet organisational goals in the most demanding times.

Today, George is a general manager in one of the largest teams of technology professionals in Western Australia in support of Bankwest’s transformation to a WA-based national digital bank.